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Biggin Hill 75 - 18 August 2015

SE7toSG3SE7toSG3
in Not Sports Related
Anyone else going to this? It's my birthday on the 18th and I am being treated by my wife & son.
They have 18 Spitfires and 6 Hurricanes flying 75 years to the day the Battle of Britain reached its height so should be quite a day.

My grandfather was ground crew with 19 Squadron throughout the war and I grew up with him taking me to see airshows in the 70's so it will be quite an emotional day all round.

http://www.bigginhillairport.com/2015/06/tickets-on-sale-for-battle-of-britain-commemoration-at-biggin-hill/

Even if your not inside there should be some impressive sights across SE London & Kent next Tuesday

Comments

  • DaveMehmetDaveMehmet
    I'm away next week, pity as I'd have been up for this. My cousin is involved with the heritage hangar there and got taken up in the two seater spitfire as a thank you a few weeks ago. They've got a big display of WW2 planes at the Goodwood Revival this year to commemorate the 75th anniversary. The Vulcan will also be displaying in it's last year before being grounded.
  • CafcWestCafcWest
    No - but going to the Herne Bay Air Show on Saturday 15th - can't wait to see the Vulcan Bomber - seen it before - very impressive.
  • kentaddickkentaddick
    edited August 2015
    .
  • GoonerhaterGoonerhater
    we now live a few hundred yards from the memorial to the few and are lucky enough to see Spitefires fly over our place most weekends . last Thursday one flew over 5 times and was doing barrel roles over the site--impressive.
  • HalixHalix
    edited August 2015
    Its quite astonishing how many Hurricanes are airworthy now, a few years ago I believe there were only 2. Love the sound of a Merlin me.
  • BDLBDL
    19/20 September, this will be the place to be...

    http://www.iwm.org.uk/events/iwm-duxford/the-battle-of-britain-anniversary-air-show

    21 Spits, 5 Hurricanes and 2 109's plus loads more.
  • DaveMehmetDaveMehmet
    BDL said:

    19/20 September, this will be the place to be...

    http://www.iwm.org.uk/events/iwm-duxford/the-battle-of-britain-anniversary-air-show

    21 Spits, 5 Hurricanes and 2 109's plus loads more.

    Will definitely be going to this.
  • cafckevcafckev
    Last month, down at RAF Fairford, we had 12 Spits, 5 Hurricans, and 2 109's take off, display and land on two days which was blody impressive. Lots of very emotional people watching. They also preformed a dog fight between a Spit and 109. If its anywhere near as good that, it will be worth seing.
  • Tom_HoviTom_Hovi
    Won't be there sadly Clive as work beckons. However, as I'll be in southeast London, there should be plenty to see and hear as you say. August 18th was known as 'The Hardest Day' with Biggin, Kenley, Croydon, West Malling, Thorney Island and Manston all heavily raided, as was RNAS Ford (the Luftwaffe's intelligence identified it as a Fighter Command airfield.) Biggin was raided by Ju88s and Do17s of KG76 based at Beauvais, Cormailles en vexin and Creil. Two of the squadrons based at Biggin at that time, 32 & 610 were scrambled on the initiative of the Station Commander, Group Captain Grice and managed to bring down ten of the raiders. At the end of a ferocious day's fighting, the Luftwaffe had lost 71 aircraft, mainly to the RAF but with some also shot down by the anti-aircraft gunners at the various airfields. The RAF lost 27 fighters, with 10 of the pilots killed.
  • Anna_KissedAnna_Kissed
    Thank you for the info. I hope to be at Biggin Hill next Tuesday.
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  • WheresmeticketWheresmeticket
    SE7toSG3 said:

    Anyone else going to this? It's my birthday on the 18th and I am being treated by my wife & son.
    They have 18 Spitfires and 6 Hurricanes flying 75 years to the day the Battle of Britain reached its height so should be quite a day.

    My grandfather was ground crew with 19 Squadron throughout the war and I grew up with him taking me to see airshows in the 70's so it will be quite an emotional day all round.

    http://www.bigginhillairport.com/2015/06/tickets-on-sale-for-battle-of-britain-commemoration-at-biggin-hill/

    Even if your not inside there should be some impressive sights across SE London & Kent next Tuesday

    I bet your dad knew my dad. He was at Biggin Hill during the battle of Britain.
  • WheresmeticketWheresmeticket
    cafc-west said:

    No - but going to the Herne Bay Air Show on Saturday 15th - can't wait to see the Vulcan Bomber - seen it before - very impressive.

    Lived at Waddington RAF base in my early years - squadrons of these buggers used to fly over the roof at about 100 feet - made the walls shake!
  • BDLBDL
    Wheresmeticket? said:

    cafc-west said:

    No - but going to the Herne Bay Air Show on Saturday 15th - can't wait to see the Vulcan Bomber - seen it before - very impressive.

    Lived at Waddington RAF base in my early years - squadrons of these buggers used to fly over the roof at about 100 feet - made the walls shake!
    I'd have given anything to have been there for a 4-ship rapid deployment. Proper Noisy!!! ;-)

    The Display by 558 on the Saturday at Fairford was the best I'd seen since she came back. Proper Howl and roar compared to the one two years ago when she displayed about 5 miles from the airfield (or so it seemed). It was a bit more sedate on the sunday as Kev Rumens (pilot) had a bit of a ticking off.

    It's only a flypast at Herne Bay, not a full display. If you get a chance to see her though take it.

    Reds and 558 Sunday
  • DaveMehmetDaveMehmet
    I really hope the weather's ok and it makes it to Goodwood next month. I missed the 2 Lancasters last year as I thought it had been cancelled and left about 15 minutes before they turned up.

    I've only ever seen a Vulcan once and that was when one flew over my primary school in about 78/79. Everyone in the playground stopped what they were doing and watched it.
  • cafckevcafckev
    edited August 2015
    .
  • WheresmeticketWheresmeticket
    BDL said:

    Wheresmeticket? said:

    cafc-west said:

    No - but going to the Herne Bay Air Show on Saturday 15th - can't wait to see the Vulcan Bomber - seen it before - very impressive.

    Lived at Waddington RAF base in my early years - squadrons of these buggers used to fly over the roof at about 100 feet - made the walls shake!
    I'd have given anything to have been there for a 4-ship rapid deployment. Proper Noisy!!! ;-)

    The Display by 558 on the Saturday at Fairford was the best I'd seen since she came back. Proper Howl and roar compared to the one two years ago when she displayed about 5 miles from the airfield (or so it seemed). It was a bit more sedate on the sunday as Kev Rumens (pilot) had a bit of a ticking off.

    It's only a flypast at Herne Bay, not a full display. If you get a chance to see her though take it.

    Reds and 558 Sunday
    Mt dad told me a story about pilots going up in these shortly after they came into service. He said they got in trouble for trundling down the runway, then more or less taking off at 45 degrees, which sheared bolts from the wings and required them to have a reservice every time they went up!
  • HalixHalix
    Wheresmeticket? said:

    BDL said:

    Wheresmeticket? said:

    cafc-west said:

    No - but going to the Herne Bay Air Show on Saturday 15th - can't wait to see the Vulcan Bomber - seen it before - very impressive.

    Lived at Waddington RAF base in my early years - squadrons of these buggers used to fly over the roof at about 100 feet - made the walls shake!
    I'd have given anything to have been there for a 4-ship rapid deployment. Proper Noisy!!! ;-)

    The Display by 558 on the Saturday at Fairford was the best I'd seen since she came back. Proper Howl and roar compared to the one two years ago when she displayed about 5 miles from the airfield (or so it seemed). It was a bit more sedate on the sunday as Kev Rumens (pilot) had a bit of a ticking off.

    It's only a flypast at Herne Bay, not a full display. If you get a chance to see her though take it.

    Reds and 558 Sunday
    Mt dad told me a story about pilots going up in these shortly after they came into service. He said they got in trouble for trundling down the runway, then more or less taking off at 45 degrees, which sheared bolts from the wings and required them to have a reservice every time they went up!
    if they werent quite so quick replacing the bolts Im sure the pilots wouldnt have kept doing this......
  • ken from bexleyken from bexley
    edited August 2015
    Reminds me of the time when my wife passed here driving test, we went for a short holiday to North Wales, we had an old Morris Minor, lovely old car.
    Anyway, we just made it to the top of the hills/mountains on those winding Welsh roads, and a Vulcan doing a slow pass,as we came round the bend........ turned on the 'after burners'..... The noise and vibration was like an earth quake. Thank god it was not at night !
  • HalixHalix
    edited August 2015
    olympus engines are bloody noisy, when I worked in East Dulwich you could almost set your watch by listening for the 6.05 Concorde flying overhead.
  • DaveMehmetDaveMehmet
    ken from bexley said:

    Reminds me of the time when my wife passed here driving test, we went for a short holiday to North Wales, we had an old Morris Minor, lovely old car.
    Anyway, we just made it to the top of the hills/mountains on those winding Welsh roads, and a Vulcan doing a slow pass,as we came round the bend........ turned on the 'after burners'..... The noise and vibration was like an earth quake. Thank god it was not at night !

    My mate was driving to Hereford away back in the 80's in a granada with the sun roof open. We were on the edge of a valley with trees lining the edge, when a jaguar jet flew straight from behind the trees over the top of us. We shat ourselves, I thought we'd had a puncture or something. Ooh aah was with us, do you remember it mate?
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  • Anna_KissedAnna_Kissed
    It was quite a sight at Biggin Hill today. The actions of pilots, ground crew and the planners at Fighter Command - Hugh Dowding, especially - 75 years ago did much to weaken the enemy and pave the way for victory over Nazism and Fascism.
    We have much to thank them for.
  • SE7toSG3SE7toSG3
    Amazing day today, we do indeed have much to thank them for
  • wwtonewwtone
    Stood outside and got these shots. Bit of a grey day so had to lighten them up when I got home. Well worth the trip just to hear the sound of those engines and to appreciate what 'The Few' did for us !!

    Also for me very nostalgic as my God Mother served there as ground crew during the war.
  • ken from bexleyken from bexley
    For those of us that could not make it yesterday.......
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Pz8M0BARnI
  • IsawlearyplayIsawlearyplay
    Many thanks - brought a tear
  • DaveMehmetDaveMehmet
    7 people killed at Shoreham air show this afternoon when a hawker hunter crashed.
  • HastingsaddickHastingsaddick
    edited August 2015
    DaveMehmet said:

    7 people killed at Shoreham air show this afternoon when a hawker hunter crashed.

    That number is increasing (11 according to the BBC news website) including the goalkeeper for Worthing...RIP to those killed in a tragic accident on the A27.
  • DaveMehmetDaveMehmet
    Great programme on C4 on Tuesday night about the flypasts at Goodwood. Was there for the revival at the weekend and the sight of over 30 Spits and 5 Hurricanes parked up was something else.

    They had a couple in the air throughout the day along with a Mustang and Curtis P40.

  • GoonerhaterGoonerhater
    They flew over the bungalow on Tuesday I'm sure one was a mustang
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